Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 1-1-2005 An Analysis of Accelerated Christian Education and College Preparedness Based on ACT Scores Lisa J.L. Kelley [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://mds.marshall.edu/etd Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons Recommended Citation Kelley, Lisa J.L., "An Analysis of Accelerated Christian Education and College Preparedness Based on ACT Scores" (2005). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. Paper 95. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Analysis of Accelerated Christian Education and College Preparedness Based on ACT Scores Thesis submitted to the Graduate College of Marshall University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Educational Specialist in School Psychology by Lisa J. L. Kelley Approved by Elizabeth Kelly Rhoades, Committee Chairperson Karen Binkley Hope Elkins Marshall University May 2005 Running head: ACE AND COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS An Analysis of Accelerated Christian Education And College Preparedness Based on ACT Scores Lisa J.L. Kelley Marshall University Graduate College ACE and College Preparedness 2 Abstract An Analysis of Accelerated Christian Education And College Preparedness Based on ACT Scores Lisa J.L. Kelley The current paper discusses Christian education in relation to college preparedness. The author focuses on Christian education and the use of Accelerated Christian Education, a prepackaged curriculum, specifically used in private fundamentalist Christian schools. Relevant research is reviewed regarding college preparedness and Christian education. The researcher obtained the ACT scores received by graduates of an ACE school over the past five years. These scores were analyzed using a t-test of comparative means (p<.05) to determine if there were a significant differences in ACT scores between students at the Accelerated Christian School and the students of a public high school in the same area with a graduate college application rate of 75-83%. Scores were analyzed and a significant difference was found between the public school graduates’ scores and the ACE graduates’ scores in all areas of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Composite Score), except the area of Science Reasoning. Overall, the ACT scores of the ACE graduates were consistently lower than those of the public school students. ACE and College Preparedness 3 Introduction In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children attending private religious schools (Gewertz, 2001). Gewertz (2001) reported that by 1999, an overwhelming number of students attended various types of private religious schools including, 2.5 million attending Catholic schools, 210,000 attending Jewish day schools, and 773,000 attending some type of Christian school. Among the many children who are enrolled in private Christian schools, many thousands attend fundamentalist Christian schools that utilize the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) system. The current review will discuss the establishment and characteristics of this curriculum as well as the literature relevant to ACE and the degree to which it prepares its graduates for college. Also in recent years a great deal of research has been done to determine the necessary characteristics of college success. Researchers have found that in order for high school graduates to be prepared for college, their high school curriculum must foster certain skills and abilities. The research on college preparedness is analyzed and the characteristics necessary for college success are discussed in detail. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in ACT scores between students in a West Virginian Christian School and the students at a local public high school. Review of Related Literature College Preparedness Characteristics of College Preparedness ACE and College Preparedness 4 The extent to which entering freshmen are prepared to deal with the “challenges, demands, and opportunities of the college experience” is an issue that has been explored by many researchers in recent years (Jenkins & Lanning, 2002, p. VI). According to Hettich (1998), many students enter colleges ill-prepared by their previous educational experiences and lacking vital skills and strategies necessary for college success. Though researchers do not agree on one set definition of college preparedness, the one which will be used in this study is adapted from a concept presented by Hettich in his 1998 book Learning Skills for College. College preparedness will be defined as the following: the acquisition of the necessary “information, skills, and attitudes essential for learning” (Hettich, 1998, p. xi) and succeeding in college. The necessary “information, skills, and attitudes” will be further defined throughout the literature review as the author presents twelve essential characteristics researchers have found vital to college success. The first necessary characteristic for college success is being able to set goals and manage time (Hettich, 1998; Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2002; Jenkins & Lanning, 2002; Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002). Hettich (1998) defines goals as “the results or milestones that a motivated person strives to reach” and goal setting as “the process of identifying specific milestones and the means of reaching them” (p. 34). In order for a student to set goals and determine ways of accomplishing them, the student must be able to prioritize and manage time efficiently. Many beginning college students face this dilemma. As Jenkins and Lanning (2002) report, 70% of college sophomores surveyed named time management as their biggest obstacle to being a successful student. In order to overcome this obstacle, students must be able to establish both long and short term goals, evaluate these goals in terms of their values, and explore various types of goals for ACE and College Preparedness 5 their lives (Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2002). Students entering college must be able to set goals and manage their time, as the ability to do so may be the difference between success and failure (Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002). College students must also be able to listen effectively, or “listen to learn” (Hettich, 1998, p. 166). Once again, researchers find this characteristic to be vital to college success, since active listening can have a significant impact on a student receiving a passing or failing grade (Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002). An engaged listener will be able to “understand lecture material, take accurate notes, participate in class discussions, and communicate” with his or her peers (Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002, p. 149). Students must be able to ask relevant questions and concentrate wholly on the lecture material (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2002; Hettich, 1998). Sherfield, Montgomery, and Moody (2002) state that to be a truly effective listener, college students must be able to listen purposefully, objectively, and constructively. That is, students must listen with a purpose, with an open mind, and try to apply what they have learned to their own lives. By possessing the ability to listen to instructors, students are more likely to succeed. Another characteristic students need to possess prior to entering college, is the ability to take notes in class (Hettich, 1998; Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2002; Jenkins & Lanning, 2002; Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002). Hettich (1998) states that “notes compensate for deficiencies” in memory and force students to focus all of their attention on the lecture (p. 184). The ability to take notes effectively is dependent upon a student’s ability to think critically and to filter out unnecessary information (Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2002). According to Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody (2002), ACE and College Preparedness 6 taking notes is part of the active listening process and having good notes simplifies the studying process, as notes provide a record of course content. A college student’s ability to take “useful accurate notes” greatly improves his or her chances at academic success (Sherfield, Montgomery, & Moody, 2002, p. 171). College students must also be able to read effectively (Hettich, 1998; Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2002; Jenkins & Lanning, 2002). Carter, Bishop, & Kravits (2002), emphasize the necessity of students to be able to truly comprehend reading materials in the following statement: “True comprehension goes beyond just knowing facts and figures – a student can parrot back a pile of economics statistics on a test, for example, without understanding what they mean” (p. 120). According to these authors, true comprehension comes with the ability to personalize the information, which makes the written information truly meaningful to the student. Hettich (1998) discusses the need of students to be interactive with their texts. Hettich (1998) also states that in order to be able to read effectively, students must possess a significant prior knowledge base. This prior knowledge base will increase the speed with which students are able to comprehend reading materials (Hettich, 1998). College students must also possess adequate study skills in order to succeed in college